Knitting

I am honored to be featured on the “Knitters of the World” segment of the latest Fruity Knitting, episode 69. Thank you to Andrea and Andrew for including me. I’m offering a discount on my patterns for Fruity Knitting patrons, you can find out more details on the Patreon page.

Minnesota’s north shore holds a special place in my heart, with the restorative expanse of Lake Superior, the subtle and varied colors of the inland boreal forests, and the lichen covered rocky shores. It’s one of my absolute favorite places to visit, and is always a source of inspiration.

When Kate invited me to contribute to the collection in her new book Milarrochy Heids, I was both deeply honored and very excited. I named my new hat pattern after the beautiful Tettegouche State Park, which lies along a rugged, rocky stretch of Lake Superior, complete with inland forests and waterfalls.

Milarrochy Tweed is amazing to work with, with a color range that allows for so many great combinations. Because I so enjoyed designing Tettegouche, I couldn’t stop at just the hat, and decided to work on a matching pair of mittens.

I look forward to wearing my new designs when I am next hiking in Tettegouche State Park!

One of the many perks of being married to a designer is having my collection of accessories expand with unique, handmade items. Since I keep my hair short (as in, pretty much no hair), I do find myself wearing hats quite a lot. And, once the cold weather sets in, I find it essential to have something covering my head.

But, I’m a bit particular with the kind of hat I like to wear, and I bet you or someone you know is also particular with what they put on their head. Virginia has published several hat designs for men that are not only easy knits, but also look great. Here are a few of my favorites—my go-to’s when I’m about to head out the door.

Stormcrow

Knit using three colors of Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, this beanie has a simple, but cool colorwork section. Pattern can be found here.

Bombadillo

Another simple colorwork hat, this one uses four colors of the hardy and readily available Cascade 220 yarn (a good way to use up some of the bits and bobs in your stash). Pattern can be found here.

Hatshine

I’m definitely a beanie person, but this hat has instructions for either a beanie or a slouch, as well as charts for a simpler two-color version or a great seven-color version. Pattern can be found here.

Girder

Sometimes I need a little more texture in my life, and this hat fits the bill. Again, this has two size options: a watch cap (my favorite) and a slouch. Cascade 220 is used on these, as well, and the watch cap is a nice dense fabric that really holds in the heat. Pattern can be found here.

This pattern is suitable for the knitter with experience knitting mittens, reading a chart and stranded colorwork. I used one skein each of Tukuwool Fingering in colors: Auri, Syli and Haave.

Finished mitten is 8 inches in circumference and 11 inches from edge to tip. Ribbing accounts for 2.75 inches of length.

Pattern (and more information) can be found here.